Fear the Coming Storm
by ZOMAN388
Summary: Ever wonder what happened after Niadra drifted off into space in Heart of the Swarm? Well this story explains that in an alternate timeline after the End War. Prepare yourselves. A storm is coming, and nothing can stand before its fury!
1. Prologue

Niadra snarled, jabbing with one of her "wings" and impaling a Zealot through the chest. The Protoss warrior groaned before erupting into blue light, his soul torn from his destroyed body. She tossed the body aside, and turned to admire her newly formed brood. Hydralisks fired poisonous spines into Protoss warrior, their shields unable to protect them from such an onslaught. Roaches shredding apart escape pods with their massive claws, or melted the heavy plating with their acidic spit. Zerglings, in great numbers, scrambling over each other to get at the Protoss and rip them to shreds. However, the "child" she was most proud of was the Ursadon, which she had taken control of. The beast bellowed in fury, lifting a flailing stalker above its head before slamming it down, shattering the construct into pieces. If she had a mouth, she would be smiling, for the sight of her children destroying the Protoss was almost to much for her. Soon, the last escape pod was destroyed, and the last Protoss warrior was slain, spilling his blood onto the golden floor. Niadra breathed in deeply, enjoying the feeling of having completed her task. She reached out with her mind, her focus stretching across space as she contacted her queen.

"My queen. The Protoss have been exterminated. What is your bidding?" However, unlike before, there was no response, no warmth caused by her queen's focus directed towards her. This surprised Niadra, and a slight feeling of dread began to rise within her. She tried again, focusing harder to reach out to her queen.

"My queen?" Her voice bounced back, echoing through the emptiness. Her voice rose, and dread took hold.

"My queen!?" Still no response. Niadra's heart fell.

"We are alone." For the first time in her life, she was without her queen, alone in the vastness of space. Her mind churned, without direction, without purpose. Then, her mind settled. She was Zerg. She wasn't meant to wallow in self-pity, she was meant to obey. To adapt. To destroy. And she would do just that. If she and her brood couldn't receive new orders, then they would make sure that their last orders are completely, to the last. Niadra let out a snarl, resulting in her children doing the same.

"The Queen of Blades has given us but one purpose. To destroy the Protoss! Search the ship, bring me everything. We will study them, we will learn their weaknesses, and we will adapt to combat them! We will return, and when we do, the Protoss will be consumed by the Swarm!" And so, her children took off into the ship to search as Niadra began placing down creep tumors. However, she lacked the capability to spawn more children, and nothing other than Zerglings, roaches and hydras. Her brood was limited, and she lacked overlords. No matter, she would find a way to adapt her children to this. Her eyes glanced to the side, falling upon the Ursadon, which had begun scratching at an itch forming in its spine, causing its hair to fall out. Another thought entered her mind, and she moved towards the Ursadon. She had work to do.


	2. Peace and Quiet

**Eight months have passed since the defeat of Amon, and much change has come upon the Koprulu Sector. Zagara, high queen of the Zerg, has withdrawn from Terran and Protoss worlds, and has taken up residence on Char and the surrounding planets, free from interaction with other races. Emperor Valerian had rained in an age of peace for the Dominion. Wealth and prosperity is being spread throughout their worlds, and the people rejoice. Artanis, Hierarch of the Daelaam, has reclaimed Aiur, and unified the Protoss. At least most of them. High Lord Alarak of the Tal'darim denied Artanis's offer of staying on Aiur, and has taken his people on a quest to claim new worlds. Also, with the defeat of Amon, rumors have emerged of a new Xel'naga, a new goddess of the cycle. Kerrigan. A new faction of Protoss, the Adari, has formed, dedicated to the worship of Kerrigan and understanding what her powers means. While small, this faction still has presence on multiple worlds, as well as a seat on the newly formed Daelaam council.**

 **However, despite the peace within the sector, it did not last long. The Tal'darim, on their quest for new worlds, have begun invading Dominion space, slaughtering** **colonists** **and converting their worlds into their own. After six months of peace, the Terran Dominion is once again at war, battling the brutal and aggressive Tal'darim. However, this war is just the begin. Something lurks just outside the Koprulu sector, prepared to lay waste to all who oppose it. Now, a storm is coming, and the sector will never be the same again.**

* * *

Fire and ash rained from the sky, covering the ground with a dead and Greg appearance. A large Dominion outpost, once a housing from a colony mining operation, is now in flames. Marines huddle within their bunkers, their guns jutting from the windows as they fire upon the opposition, but it is not enough. The Tal'darim have come, and they bring new tools of destruction. Decimators, their armor thick and bristling with glowing red spike, roaring in rage and fury at the Dominion soldiers. Their helmets leave their faces bare, exposing their gleaming red eyes and pale faces. Their nerve cords are rapped into a single cord, and connect to the back of the large weapon they carry. With spikes on the front and an opening on the top reveling a large Blood shard crystal within, the weapon looked like a perverted Protoss version of a mini-gun. With a roar, they fired, launching searing beams of raw, crackling psionic energy at the Dominion soldiers. They screamed in agony as the beams of energy scythed through their armor, melting through it and their flesh without difficulty. Those in bunkers hardly faired any better. The beams of light seared at the metal plates, slowly deforming them. The soldiers unlucky enough to be firing out windows had their guns melted off by the energy, and the even more unlucky ones had their faces burned off by the raw power.

Siege tanks opened fire, the blast striking one of the Decimators. The Protoss was flung backwards, its shields shattering as its armor was torn open. The squad scattered, diving out of the way to avoid being mulched. A screech filled the air as a Tal'darim War Prism swooped across the battlefield. Its front flaps deployed, and it began dropping warp beacons, covering the field in about 8 of them before vanishing in a red flash. The warp beacons materialized into Obliterators, modified Dragoons that act as combat vehicles instead of life support fighters. Their front arms are longer then the back, giving it a higher profile. Twin pulse blasters were attached to their underbelly, and a large barbed Psi Projector was attached to the back. The Obliterators opened fire, firing at twice the speed of photon cannons, the blasts tearing through bunkers and siege tanks alike. A soldier was struck directly by a blast, resulting in his torso being blown out, scattering his limbs and coating the ground in gore. A squad of wraiths flew in, and opened fire, causing the walkers shields to flare. In response, the Psi Projectors on the back of the walkers began crackling with electrical power, before firing out a searing lance or psi energy at the wraiths. Upon contact the wraiths short circuited, then exploded.

With their outer defenses destroyed, the Tal'darim bellowed in fury before charging, their Legionaries sprinting forward as their Obliterators galloped through the shattered outpost walls. A marine, manning a gun turret stationed on the roof, opened fire upon the charging Legionaries. The shields of one shattered, resulting in the warrior screaming in pain as the shredder rounds tore through his flesh, dropping him to a knee before he collapsed. On the ground, a shielded marine fired at another Legionary, ducking as the Protoss swung its blade at him. He then lept back, dodging a downwards strike that sliced his shield in half. The Legionary glared at him, then charged. The marine snarled at the Protoss before diving forward, tackling the alien to the ground with his brute strength. He drew his pistol, shoved it into the monster's throat, then fired, splattering the ground with blue blood. However, before he could finish it off, a large hand grabbed him by the back of his head, hoisted him up, then impaled him with a red blade. The marine grunted, gasping for breath as he stared down at the blade before it was wrenched up, splitting him in two. The Legionary then threw the body aside, and stepped towards the gagging Legionary on the ground. He stepped on its chest, then rammed his blade into the warrior's head, killing him instantly. They then turned to the outpost door, and began tearing it open.

Inside, within the command room itself, General Veers stared at the display screen, trying desperately to coordinate his remaining forces to defend the evacuating colonists, but it was difficult. He had fought Protoss before, but the Tal'darim were in an entirely different league. An explosion rocked the room, causing him to turn, him and his guards facing the door. Picking up his weapon, the General lowered his visor. His death would ensure that the colonists made it out. The door began glowing red, steam pillowing from the deforming metal. Veers tensed, sweat forming on his head as he growled.

"Come on you basterds. Come on!" As if in response, the door buckling with a grind, and two, lightly armor formed rolled into the room, but Veers knew better then to underestimate them. Supplicants. The lightly armored Protoss raised their arms, and fired their pulse blasters. Veers' guard also fired, causing their red shields to flare. A guard went down, then a second. Veers fired, roaring in fury as he launched a grenade at the nearest monster, knocking it backwards as its shields broke. Without giving it time to responds, Veers and his final guard unloaded into the Supplicant, causing it to groan in pain as its throat and stomach were blown out by the brutal rounds. The second Supplicant suddenly seized up, its body crackling with energy. Veers swore, then dove to the side just as the Supplicant erupted into flames, its energy flowing towards a form now floating into the room. A Tal'darim Ascendant. The Protoss champion rose a hand and fired a bolt of energy at the final guard, incinerating him on contact. Veers growled again, standing and firing. He wouldn't go down without a fight. The Ascendant spun towards him, lifting a hand and blocking his shots. With a quick flip of the wrist, Veers found his gun yanked from his hands. Then the Protoss closed his hand into a fist, causing Veers to gag has his oxygen was cut off and he was lifted into the air. The Ascendant slowly floated towards him, its hand still clenched as it approached, then tilted its head as it looked at him.

"General Veers. We have pursed you against three systems. You truly are the coward we had been told about. But you are a valuable coward, which is the only reason you are still alive."

Veers gagged, but still managed to growl at the beast.

"Stop talking! Kill me or release me, but don't bore me with your useless yapping!" The Ascendants eyes narrowed, and it raised its hand to his face. Veers shuddered in pain as his mind began being raked open.

"As you wish" A scream escaped the generals mouth, and pain filled his mind as his knowledge was stripped away. After a few moments, the Protoss closed its hand into a fist, and Veers knew no more as his head burst into explosion of gore.

* * *

High Priestess I'toni stared out over the city, her orange eyes glowing softly in the fading sunlight, her hands resting gently atop the golden railing. She was dressed in a simple roped outfit, with very little armor plating, but with several crystals embedded in the cloth. A simple golden headband wrapped round her head, with an orange crystal in the center. Her ropes flowed gently with the wind, occasionally showing her bare feet topped with a golden anklet and crystal. Closing her eyes, I'toni let her mind wander, thinking of the blessings that she and her people had received here.

"Priestess?"

Her eyes flickered open, and she glanced back, spotting a fellow priestess standing by the doorway, her nerve cods dangling freely behind and in front of her.

"She has arrived."

"Very well Oti. I will be there shortly." The priestess nodded, then exited the room, leaving I'toni alone one again. Closing her eyes one final time, I'toni allowed the wind to ruffle her nerve cords and robes before she turned, and exited the room. She walked gracefully down the golden hall, her hand running across a band of orange power that pulsed within the metal. Unlike the Khalai, who used Khaydarin crystals for power, the Adari used Solarite crystals, resulting in a warmer feel and the orange coloration. Finally reaching the door, I'toni exited the building, and stepped into the courtyard.

Adari architecture was more fluid then other Protoss, with more rounded shapes and fewer hard lines and angles. It was also simpler, with fewer grand designs and floating objects. The courtyard reflected this. A simple golden wall contained a green garden, bursting with flowers. Three small orange pylons dotted the large garden, providing power to anything within. A few small tamed beasts frolicked in the grass, most natural but a few were engineered, including the towering Earidonta, a large, three-legged beast that was designed for its leathery skin and for its soothing song. Even now, the creature stood next to a tree, grazing while whistling softly through the tubes on the top of its head. On one side of the garden, a simple golden frame, filled with orange energy, formed a gate that lead out into the streets. I'toni could just make out a pass merchant, using a tamed Ursadak to pull a cart. She beamed with pride upon seeing all this, such accomplishments, but her attention was quickly drawn to the other side of the garden, where she was now heading.

A large golden platform stood out from the grass. On the platform, several orange circles marked warp points, allowing visitors to arrive here. As she neared, I'toni saw one of the circles light up, a pillar of light forming above it. The light materialized into a form, before it faded, reveling their guest. I'toni bowed slightly, pressing her fingers together in front of her chest.

"Preserver Rohana, welcome to Kaldir. We are honored to host such a guest." Rohana looked mostly the same as she had during the End war, however, since its close, she has had a few changes made. Most noticeably is the large head ornament that she wore, greatly resembling the apparatus she wore before severing her nerve cords. However, this was purely mechanical, and held a small Khaydarin in the center. This device allowed her to reused her preserving talents, as well as document new findings for preserving. She returned I'toni's gesture.

"High Priestess I'toni. It is a pleasure to meet your in person." She glanced around the area, taking in the garden, the warm air, and the setting sun before glancing back to I'toni.

"This planet is quite different than the Kaldir I knew of."

I'toni chuckling, turning and beckoning Rohana to follow, who did, hovering above the ground.

"Yes. This planet is quite different from the one we initially colonized, but I think that this is an improvement, don't you agree?" She glanced back at Rohana, who was studying everything around her, most likely taking literal mental notes.

"I see that you make quite an extensive use of Solarite, as well as wild beasts. Your methods almost seem primitive when compared to the Khalai."

"Yes, that may be true, but we feel that the simpler life, with less technology and more fauna allows us to grow closer to the Eternal Mother. It is through this close connection that we are able to bring about such life." To demonstrate her point, I'toni stopped, and extended her hand up to stroke the neck of a nearby Catrilar, a long-legged caterpillar like creature covered in soft fur. Rohana's eyes glowed with awe as she watched the beast graze, completely content with the two Protoss beside it.

"The Eternal Mother granted us life, and we in return gift her with life and reverence."

"If I'm not mistaken, this Eternal Mother you speak of is the Terran by the name of Sarah Kerrigan, correct?"

I'toni glanced back at Rohana, her finger twirling the Catrilar's fur.

"Not Terran. Xel'naga. She is the bringer of life, the true goddess and shepherd of our cycle."

"That explains your departure from Aiur. You wished to worship Kerrigan."

I'toni's eyes flared. "We left so that we could forge a new life, free from the customs of the Khalai. We do not resent them. We hold them equal with all life, but we don't agree with all their ways. That is why we left."

"It would seem that some of the information I have been cataloguing is biased. I hope you can provide some proper insight."

I'toni released the creatures fur, and turned to face the gardens gate. With a wave of her hand, they parted before her.

"Come Preserver. We have much to discuss."

* * *

A ship, or what used to be a ship, drifted through space, gently. However, anyone who saw this should would not call it a ship at all. Large pale tentacles grew from the ship's hull, coating it in a jacket of flesh and teeth. Large pulsing growths grew from the ships back, and large, smooth tentacles erupted from the ships rear, undulating gently, as if proving propulsion. Large spiked growths jutted from the top and bottom, and small fangs dotted he fleshy surface. Where there was no flesh, shiny golden metal gleaming in the pale light of space. The whole craft resembling horrible merging of worm and a Protoss vessel. Inside, the owner slept.

"Mother. Mother, something is in sight. I believe we have finally found a planet."

Niadra shifted softly, her red eyes flickering open as she stirred herself from her hibernation. It had been more than a year since she had gone into hibernation, and more than three years since her birth, stranding her out in space. She rose, her six spider-like legs moving underneath her to hold her weight. She looked different then she had three years ago. The webbing between her legs was far smaller, allowing her a quicker movement speed off of creep, in theory. Her ovipositor had shortened, giving her a more compact body, and her "wings" had developed into two pairs, both capable of splitting their tips to become claw like, and to launch out acidic spines. Her skull had shortened, the large elaborate crest becoming more like that of a Protoss, but topped with several glowing spines that resembled a crown. Her nerve cords where longer, now reaching her mid back, and had grown slightly thinner, and more tentacle like. A mouth had formed, with large fanged teeth, and her mandibles had larger fangs attached. However, most striking of all was her coloration. Her flesh was now a bleached white, and the armored plates on her back were a slightly greyer white in color. However, in contrast, her eyes, pustules, and even points of light on her body, all glowed a sinister blood red, making them pop from the white flesh. This coloration was shared across her entire brood.

Moving quickly across the pale creep, Niadra moved from her resting chamber to the ships "nerve center", what used to be the bridge. The bio door opened before her, reveling her first born daughter, Trunda, waiting for her. Designed to act like a storage bank and tactician, Trunda had a long, serpentine body that lacked much armor. Two large, sturdy spiked limbs emerged from her back, stretching around and providing her with support to hold an upwards stance. A second pair of limbs, resembling a queen's "wings" reached over her shoulders, at the ready to help with manipulation, twitching constantly. Her true arms were thin, and her three fingered hands were tipped with long, yet delicate claws. Her face resembled some queen's, mouthless and flanked by fanged mandibles. However, the rest of the head was flexible, and her nerve cords trailed far down her back. She turned her red eyes to her queen and mother, then bowed deeply.

"Mother Niadra. Our Oculant has spotted what I believe to be a planet. Our drifting may be over."

Niadra rose a brow, then glanced to a small mouth like growth in the wall. She extended a hand towards it, then lifted it. Immediately, the mouth opened, and a creature emerged. It was roughly the size and shape of a Terran, with two thin, almost pathetic arms dangling from a body topped with a large, neckless head. The face consisted of three plates, arranged in a triangular position, that covered the front of the head. A row of plates extended back from this, running down the back and out of sight. The chest was also armored, but it clearly wasn't very thick. Red eyes with slit pupils were imbedded in the shoulders, in the center of the back and chest, and in the palms of its hand. A faint red glow came from between the facial plates. Upon pulling itself into view, the Oculant shuddered, and its facial plates slowly opened up, reveling a smooth glowing red surface. Slowly, the red changed, and showed an image of space, including a slowly approaching green planet. Niadra slowly smirked, the lips around her large teeth forming a horrid version of the expression. She turned to her daughter, stepping forward and extending her hand. She cradled her face, and Trunda closed her eyes in response, enjoying the contact.

"Wake your sisters and prepare the brood. At last, we can grow our family, and strengthen our ranks. The time has come for us to finish what we started."


End file.
